The present invention relates to a cup showing pictures, words or patterns thereon, and more particularly to a cup showing luminous pictures, words or patterns that create three-dimensional visual effect to increase the value of the cup.
A most common way to decorate a cup and thereby increase the value thereof is to provide pictures, words or patterns on the surface of the cup by way of printing and/or kilning. The pictures, words or patterns formed on the cup by printing or kilning are visible only at well-lightened places and are always two-dimensional images. In a dark or poor-lightened place, such printed or kilned pictures, words or patterns could not be clearly viewed and completely lose their function of decorating the cup.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a cup capable of showing luminous images that are visible even in a dark place, enabling the cup to serve as a good ornament or advertising article and therefore has increased value.
To achieve the above and other objects, the cup of the present invention includes a transparent body having an inner and an outer wall to define an annular hollow space between them, a bottom sealing a lower end of the body and the annular hollow space, an open-bottomed chamber formed below the body to communicate with the annular hollow space via an opening provided on the bottom, a luminous strip with printed pictures, words or patterns enclosed in the annular hollow space, a switch-controlled driving circuit mounted in the chamber and electrically connected to the luminous strip via conductors extended through the opening on the bottom, and a lower cover detachably closing the chamber.
In the present invention, the driving circuit mounted in the chamber is provided with a vibrating-type switch. When the cup is vibrated, the vibrating-type switch is made to lighten the luminous strip for the pictures, words or patterns to produce cold light. The cold light passes through and is refracted by the outer wall of the cup body to show luminous three-dimensional images on the cup.
The open-bottomed chamber is provided at a lower peripheral wall with screw threads meshing with screw threads provided at an upper peripheral wall of the lower cover, so that the lower cover is screwed onto the chamber to isolate the latter from external humidity and to facilitate replacement of batteries of the driving circuit.